Post by FLCeltsFan on Feb 6, 2020 22:16:16 GMT -5
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Atlanta Hawks (14-38) at Boston Celtics (35-15)
Friday, February 7, 2020
7:30 PM ET
Regular Season Game [HASH]51, Home Game [HASH]27
TV: NBCSB, FSSE-ATL, NBA-LP
Radio: 98.5 Sports Hub, 92.9 FM The Game
TD Garden
Probable Starting Matchups
Point Guard
vs
Kemba Walker vs Trae Young
Shooting Guard
vs
Jaylen Brown vs Kevin Huerter
Small Forward
vs
Gordon Hayward vs De'Andre Hunter
Power Forward
vs
Jayson Tatum vs John Collins
Center
vs
Enes Kanter vs Damian Jones
Celtics Reserves
Javonte Green
Semi Ojeleye
Grant Williams
Romeo Langford
Vincent Poirier
Marcus Smart
Brad Wanamaker
Injuries/NWT
Brad Wanamaker (ankle) probable
Marcus Smart (thigh) probable
Robert Williams III (hip) out
Daniel Theis (ankle) out
Kemba Walker (knee) questionable
Carsen Edwards (gleague) questionable
Gordon Hayward (foot) questionable
Jaylen Brown (ankle) questionable
Two Way Players
Tremont Waters
Tacko Fall
Head Coach
Brad Stevens
Hawks Reserves
Vince Carter
Treveon Graham
DeWayne Dedmon
Derrick Walton, Jr
Jeff Teague
Injuries/NWT
DeAndre' Bembry (hand) out
Clint Capela (heel) out
Skal Labissiere (knee) out
Bruno Fernando (calf) doubtful
Cam Reddish (concussion) doubtful
Trae Young (ankle) probable
De'Andre Hunter (ankle) questionable
Jeff Teague (knee) probable
Two Way Players
Charlie Brown, Jr
Brandon Goodwin
Head Coach
Lloyd Pierce
Game Notes
The Celtics host the Atlanta Hawks for the 3rd and final game between these two teams this season. The Celtics won both games so far this season. They squeaked by the Hawks in Boston on January 3rd after coming back from 18 down to win 109-106. They struggled somewhat in the second game on February 3 before pulling ahead to win 123-115 in Atlanta.
The Hawks were very active at the trade deadline, trading away Alex Len and Jabari Parker and bringing in Clint Capela, DeWayne Dedmon, Skal Labissiere and Derrick Walton, Jr. The Celtics didn't make a move at the trade deadline, choosing to stick with the players they have and possibly wait for the buyout market.
Both teams are struggling with injuries with both teams posting a lengthy injury report. I've posted the starters with a few on each team that are game time decisions. The Celtics have 3 starters who are questionable while the Hawks have 2 players who are questionable. If they can't start, I don't have a clue who will start in their places with so many players on the injury list.
For the Celtics, Gordon Hayward is questionable due to a sore foot that kept him out for several games earlier in the season. Kemba Walker is questionable with the knee soreness that has kept him out of the past 3 games. Jaylen Brown is also questionable with the sprained ankle that caused him to leave Wednesday's game early. All three will be a game time decision.
In addition to those three questionable players, Daniel Theis will miss his second straight game with a sprained ankle and Rob Williams remains out with the hip injury. The news isn't all bad, though. Marcus Smart is probable to return from the thigh injury that kept him out of the last 2 games. Brad Wanamaker is probable to play after tweaking his ankle in Wednesday's game.
For the Hawks, Trae Young is probable to play with a sore hip. He was probable for Wednesday's game also and played 37 minutes. De'Andre Hunter is questionable with an ankle injury. He returned on Wednesday after missing 2 games and played 30 minutes, but was sore and had some swelling after the game.
Cam Reddish missed the last two games with a concussion and is doubtful for this game. Jeff Teague is probable after having some knee soreness after Wednesday's game. Bruno Fernando aggravated a calf injury on Wednesday and is doubtful for this game. De'Andre Bembry is out with a hand injury that has kept him out since January 22.
DeWayne Dedmon and Derrick Walton, Jr are not injured but are questionable depending on them arriving in Atlanta and getting their physicals, etc. Clint Capela is out with a heel injury that has caused him to miss the past 5 games. Skal Labissiere has been out since the end of December with a knee injury and is questionable for this game.
As I said, I don't know if Hayward, Brown and Walker will play and if they don't, I'm not sure who will start in their places. The Celtics had Tremont Waters, Carsen Edwards, and Tacko Fall with the team on Wednesday but they returned to the Red Claws for a game on Thursday. I'm not sure if they will be back with the team for this game or not, since the Red Claws also play on Saturday.
Key Matchups
vs
Kemba Walker vs Trae Young
Young is averaging 29.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 9.0 assists and 1.2 steals per game. He is shooting 44.5% from the field and 37% from beyond the arc. Since Kemba is questionable, it's possible Marcus Smart may start here or even Romeo Langford once again. One of the keys to this game is to slow down Young, who is very dangerous on the offensive end. He scored 34 points in their last meeting and is always a threat to have a big game.
vs
Jayson Tatum vs John Collins
Collins is playing very well for the Hawks, averaging 19.7 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.7 blocks and 1.2 assists. He is shooting 56.0% from the field and 35.8% from beyond the arc. In the last game, Collins finished with 22 points and 11 rebounds. Tatum will need to keep Collins off the boards and out of the paint, especially.
Honorable Mention
Jaylen Brown vs Kevin Huerter
Huerter is averaging 11.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.2 assists. He is shooting 42.3% from the field and 39.9% from beyond the arc. In the last game against the Celtics, he finished with 23 points, including 5 three pointers. Jaylen Brown, or whoever starts at the two, needs to stay with him especially on the perimeter, where he can be dangerous.
Keys to the Game
Defense - Defense is always a key to getting a win. The Hawks are averaging 109.5 points per game while the Celtics are averaging 112.7 points per game. But we have seen many times, teams that are struggling to score suddenly can't miss against the Celtics. The Celtics have to keep making defense a priority and not let up on the effort necessary to get stops. The Celtics have to especially guard the paint since the Hawks are 4th in the league with 50.4 points in the paint. They are next to last in 3 point percentage, but that doesn't mean the Celtics can leave them open on the perimeter. They have to play tough defense inside and out.
Rebound - Rebounding gives the Celtics extra possessions and it also deprives the Hawks of the same. The Celtics are averaging 45.4 rebounds per game while the Hawks are averaging 43.0 rebounds per game. Rebounding takes effort and energy and the Celtics need to put out extra effort and energy to win the battle of the boards and when they do, it usually leads to a win.
Be Aggressive - The Celtics must be the team that plays harder and that wants this win more. They have to be aggressive in diving for loose balls, in going to the basket, in getting stops on the defensive end, and in going after rebounds. They have to play harder and be more aggressive from start to finish, especially with all the injuries. Every player that takes the court has to play hard and be aggressive on both ends of the court.
Move the Ball Carefully - The Celtics always play best when they run on every possession and when they move the ball and don't over dribble. When they run, they have a chance to get easy baskets before the Hawks defense gets set. When they move the ball, they find the open man and get the best shots. They have to keep the ball moving and not revert to hero ball, which is a tendency for players when there are a lot of injuries. They still have to play team ball.
Don't Underestimate - The Celtics have to be careful not to underestimate the Hawks and they have to come out and play hard and respect the Hawks as a team that has some good young players who are capable of having a good game. Regardless of their record, and the number of players who are out, they are capable of beating any team that doesn't respect them. They recently beat both the 76ers and the Clippers and gave the Celtics all they could handle in the first two games. That should be enough to make the Celtics respect them and come out and play hard.
X-Factors
Home Game - The Celtics are once again at home, where they have played well this season so far. The home crowd should be loud and energized with strong support for the home team. The Hawks are a young team and young teams often get rattled on the road. The Celtics need to take advantage of that and use the motivation from the crowd to get the win.
Injuries - Both teams have a large injury list and both teams have starters who are questionable. It goes without saying that if Kemba, Jaylen and Gordon can all play it will make it easier. But whoever plays has to have the next man up attitude and go out and play their hardest. This may be an ugly game if all the questionable players are out.
Officiating - The style of officiating can affect the outcome of a game. They don't even have to favor one team over the other. When officials call every little bit of contact, the Celtics seem to struggle. When the refs let them play, the Celtics play much better. The Celtics have to adjust to the way the refs call the game and not allow bad or missed calls to take away their focus. Hopefully the refs call it fairly and let both teams play.
Atlanta Hawks (14-38) at Boston Celtics (35-15)
Friday, February 7, 2020
7:30 PM ET
Regular Season Game [HASH]51, Home Game [HASH]27
TV: NBCSB, FSSE-ATL, NBA-LP
Radio: 98.5 Sports Hub, 92.9 FM The Game
TD Garden
Probable Starting Matchups
Point Guard
vs
Kemba Walker vs Trae Young
Shooting Guard
vs
Jaylen Brown vs Kevin Huerter
Small Forward
vs
Gordon Hayward vs De'Andre Hunter
Power Forward
vs
Jayson Tatum vs John Collins
Center
vs
Enes Kanter vs Damian Jones
Celtics Reserves
Javonte Green
Semi Ojeleye
Grant Williams
Romeo Langford
Vincent Poirier
Marcus Smart
Brad Wanamaker
Injuries/NWT
Brad Wanamaker (ankle) probable
Marcus Smart (thigh) probable
Robert Williams III (hip) out
Daniel Theis (ankle) out
Kemba Walker (knee) questionable
Carsen Edwards (gleague) questionable
Gordon Hayward (foot) questionable
Jaylen Brown (ankle) questionable
Two Way Players
Tremont Waters
Tacko Fall
Head Coach
Brad Stevens
Hawks Reserves
Vince Carter
Treveon Graham
DeWayne Dedmon
Derrick Walton, Jr
Jeff Teague
Injuries/NWT
DeAndre' Bembry (hand) out
Clint Capela (heel) out
Skal Labissiere (knee) out
Bruno Fernando (calf) doubtful
Cam Reddish (concussion) doubtful
Trae Young (ankle) probable
De'Andre Hunter (ankle) questionable
Jeff Teague (knee) probable
Two Way Players
Charlie Brown, Jr
Brandon Goodwin
Head Coach
Lloyd Pierce
Game Notes
The Celtics host the Atlanta Hawks for the 3rd and final game between these two teams this season. The Celtics won both games so far this season. They squeaked by the Hawks in Boston on January 3rd after coming back from 18 down to win 109-106. They struggled somewhat in the second game on February 3 before pulling ahead to win 123-115 in Atlanta.
The Hawks were very active at the trade deadline, trading away Alex Len and Jabari Parker and bringing in Clint Capela, DeWayne Dedmon, Skal Labissiere and Derrick Walton, Jr. The Celtics didn't make a move at the trade deadline, choosing to stick with the players they have and possibly wait for the buyout market.
Both teams are struggling with injuries with both teams posting a lengthy injury report. I've posted the starters with a few on each team that are game time decisions. The Celtics have 3 starters who are questionable while the Hawks have 2 players who are questionable. If they can't start, I don't have a clue who will start in their places with so many players on the injury list.
For the Celtics, Gordon Hayward is questionable due to a sore foot that kept him out for several games earlier in the season. Kemba Walker is questionable with the knee soreness that has kept him out of the past 3 games. Jaylen Brown is also questionable with the sprained ankle that caused him to leave Wednesday's game early. All three will be a game time decision.
In addition to those three questionable players, Daniel Theis will miss his second straight game with a sprained ankle and Rob Williams remains out with the hip injury. The news isn't all bad, though. Marcus Smart is probable to return from the thigh injury that kept him out of the last 2 games. Brad Wanamaker is probable to play after tweaking his ankle in Wednesday's game.
For the Hawks, Trae Young is probable to play with a sore hip. He was probable for Wednesday's game also and played 37 minutes. De'Andre Hunter is questionable with an ankle injury. He returned on Wednesday after missing 2 games and played 30 minutes, but was sore and had some swelling after the game.
Cam Reddish missed the last two games with a concussion and is doubtful for this game. Jeff Teague is probable after having some knee soreness after Wednesday's game. Bruno Fernando aggravated a calf injury on Wednesday and is doubtful for this game. De'Andre Bembry is out with a hand injury that has kept him out since January 22.
DeWayne Dedmon and Derrick Walton, Jr are not injured but are questionable depending on them arriving in Atlanta and getting their physicals, etc. Clint Capela is out with a heel injury that has caused him to miss the past 5 games. Skal Labissiere has been out since the end of December with a knee injury and is questionable for this game.
As I said, I don't know if Hayward, Brown and Walker will play and if they don't, I'm not sure who will start in their places. The Celtics had Tremont Waters, Carsen Edwards, and Tacko Fall with the team on Wednesday but they returned to the Red Claws for a game on Thursday. I'm not sure if they will be back with the team for this game or not, since the Red Claws also play on Saturday.
Key Matchups
vs
Kemba Walker vs Trae Young
Young is averaging 29.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 9.0 assists and 1.2 steals per game. He is shooting 44.5% from the field and 37% from beyond the arc. Since Kemba is questionable, it's possible Marcus Smart may start here or even Romeo Langford once again. One of the keys to this game is to slow down Young, who is very dangerous on the offensive end. He scored 34 points in their last meeting and is always a threat to have a big game.
vs
Jayson Tatum vs John Collins
Collins is playing very well for the Hawks, averaging 19.7 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.7 blocks and 1.2 assists. He is shooting 56.0% from the field and 35.8% from beyond the arc. In the last game, Collins finished with 22 points and 11 rebounds. Tatum will need to keep Collins off the boards and out of the paint, especially.
Honorable Mention
Jaylen Brown vs Kevin Huerter
Huerter is averaging 11.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.2 assists. He is shooting 42.3% from the field and 39.9% from beyond the arc. In the last game against the Celtics, he finished with 23 points, including 5 three pointers. Jaylen Brown, or whoever starts at the two, needs to stay with him especially on the perimeter, where he can be dangerous.
Keys to the Game
Defense - Defense is always a key to getting a win. The Hawks are averaging 109.5 points per game while the Celtics are averaging 112.7 points per game. But we have seen many times, teams that are struggling to score suddenly can't miss against the Celtics. The Celtics have to keep making defense a priority and not let up on the effort necessary to get stops. The Celtics have to especially guard the paint since the Hawks are 4th in the league with 50.4 points in the paint. They are next to last in 3 point percentage, but that doesn't mean the Celtics can leave them open on the perimeter. They have to play tough defense inside and out.
Rebound - Rebounding gives the Celtics extra possessions and it also deprives the Hawks of the same. The Celtics are averaging 45.4 rebounds per game while the Hawks are averaging 43.0 rebounds per game. Rebounding takes effort and energy and the Celtics need to put out extra effort and energy to win the battle of the boards and when they do, it usually leads to a win.
Be Aggressive - The Celtics must be the team that plays harder and that wants this win more. They have to be aggressive in diving for loose balls, in going to the basket, in getting stops on the defensive end, and in going after rebounds. They have to play harder and be more aggressive from start to finish, especially with all the injuries. Every player that takes the court has to play hard and be aggressive on both ends of the court.
Move the Ball Carefully - The Celtics always play best when they run on every possession and when they move the ball and don't over dribble. When they run, they have a chance to get easy baskets before the Hawks defense gets set. When they move the ball, they find the open man and get the best shots. They have to keep the ball moving and not revert to hero ball, which is a tendency for players when there are a lot of injuries. They still have to play team ball.
Don't Underestimate - The Celtics have to be careful not to underestimate the Hawks and they have to come out and play hard and respect the Hawks as a team that has some good young players who are capable of having a good game. Regardless of their record, and the number of players who are out, they are capable of beating any team that doesn't respect them. They recently beat both the 76ers and the Clippers and gave the Celtics all they could handle in the first two games. That should be enough to make the Celtics respect them and come out and play hard.
X-Factors
Home Game - The Celtics are once again at home, where they have played well this season so far. The home crowd should be loud and energized with strong support for the home team. The Hawks are a young team and young teams often get rattled on the road. The Celtics need to take advantage of that and use the motivation from the crowd to get the win.
Injuries - Both teams have a large injury list and both teams have starters who are questionable. It goes without saying that if Kemba, Jaylen and Gordon can all play it will make it easier. But whoever plays has to have the next man up attitude and go out and play their hardest. This may be an ugly game if all the questionable players are out.
Officiating - The style of officiating can affect the outcome of a game. They don't even have to favor one team over the other. When officials call every little bit of contact, the Celtics seem to struggle. When the refs let them play, the Celtics play much better. The Celtics have to adjust to the way the refs call the game and not allow bad or missed calls to take away their focus. Hopefully the refs call it fairly and let both teams play.